Community Corner
Transition Group Seeks to Boost City's Resilience
Transition St. Clair Shores asks residents to take part in a forum starting this week to shape a sustainable future for the local community in the face of global crises.
A grassroots, citizen-based organization is kicking off a series of "visioning sessions" this week to discuss how St. Clair Shores can become a more sustainable community.
Transition Saint Clair Shores is an organization comprised of people concerned about the global issues of fossil fuel availability, climate change and global economic crises and how these issues affect residents here in St. Clair Shores.
The goal of the organization is also to make St. Clair Shores more "resilient," or able to withstand the turbulence caused by global and national issues and allow the city to continue to function, according to founder Steve Kiluk.
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Resilience means, “Being able to handle $10-a-gallon gas because very little is needed," explains Kiluk, 25, of St. Clair Shores.
"Resilience means having enough local food when far-away crops fail or food is recalled. Resilience means knowing your neighbors and knowing they are there for you when you need a hand,” Kiluk added.
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Sessions will be held at the St. Clair Shores Senior Activity Center on the second and fourth Thursday of the month, with the first meeting scheduled for this Thursday.
Launched in September 2009, Kiluk's group is inspired by and loosely affiliated with the Transition Network and the global Transition Towns Initiative.
Kiluk’s group is focused on transitioning the local economy from being completely globalized and dependent on cheap fossil fuels to a more resilient community. The organization has about 30 active members.
During the visioning sessions, Shores residents will help assess their community in order to plan a more resilient future. For example, a community garden is one of the projects the Transition group is considering.
Focus areas for the first meeting include background information and video clips on issues Americans are facing and how those issues may impact St. Clair Shores.
The series of free visioning sessions hosted by Transition Saint Clair Shores will be held on the second and fourth Thursday at the St. Clair Shores , 20000 Stephens St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., beginning March 10. For more information contact Steve Kiluk at (586)871-2587 or stevekiluk@gmail.com.
